Reid to unveil public terror threat warnings

Monday 10 July 2006 18.56 EDT
First published on Monday 10 July 2006 18.56 EDT

A new system for warning the public about the threat of terrorist attacks is expected to be unveiled today.

In a move predicted by the Guardian in April, ministers will announce a new form of graded alerts, reflecting concern that the existing system of secret threat levels agreed by the security and intelligence agencies is no longer tenable.

John Reid, the home secretary, is expected to announce the decision in the House of Commons. The government has agreed to the move despite concerns by senior intelligence officials who say that public warnings about changes in the level of threat could be misinterpreted. Mr Reid is expected to announce a streamlined system with fewer threat levels.

Officials say that the system in the US, where threat alerts are regularly announced, could lead to a "crying wolf" syndrome in the UK. Other Whitehall officials are concerned about how to keep the public alert while avoiding panic.

There is also concern in Whitehall that a public system could be manipulated by ministers for political ends.

Speculation about the London bombs and associated terrorist activity continues. Tomorrow a BBC documentary will claim that Omar Sharif and Asif Hanif - Britain's first suicide bombers, who blew up a bar in Israel - worked with Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the London bombers, to recruit young Muslims. But security sources yesterday told the Guardian that they knew of no evidence of this. It is understood that MI5 has investigated the claim.